Her Master and Commander


Karen Hawkins - 2006
    Reeves must seek out the first of the earl's arrogant sons, Captain Tristan Llevanth, a one-time pirate, and teach him to be a gentleman.A will of steel...Tristan Llevanth gave up his free-wheeling life as a pirate to fight at Admiral Nelson's side. Wounded, Tristan will never again sail the seas he loves. Life has no more challenges. Or so he thinks, until Reeves brings a certain outspoken lady into the captain's uncultured household...An iron-clad spirit...Reeves believes Tristan needs a spark to relight the fires of his soul. And who better than lovely Prudence Thistlewaite, the bane of the captain's existence? Prudence wants nothing to do with her wickedly handsome, ill-tempered neighbor. Still, she cannot refuse the outlandish sum Reeves offers to smooth Tristan's rough edges.

Come Love a Stranger


Kathleen E. Woodiwiss - 1980
    Now, three years later, his carriage has collided with a cloaked rider on horseback: a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to the young bride who was swallowed up by the merciless river.She awakens from unconsciousness in his magnificent home with no memory of who she is. Yet the tenderness of this noble, caring stranger who lovingly calls her "Lierin" soon captures her heart and inflames her with wanting. Then another enters their lives, threatening to destroy the happiness they have rediscovered in each other's arms--the dark and dangerous Malcolm Sinclair, who claims the enigmatic beauty is, in fact, his own wife, Lenore. But Ashton has sworn that he will not lose his adored one a second time, and he will risk any peril to preserve their newfound joy--no matter what the unremembered secrets of his lady's past ultimately reveal.LIERINWith no name and no memory, she awakens from a nightmare of madness into the lives of two stranger. One she desires, one she fears--but both have claimed her heart.To handsome plantation owner Ashton Wingate, she is Lierin--the cherished bride cruelly stolen from him by capricious Fate. The other calls her Lenore--entangling the lost, tormented beauty in his sinister web of perilous deceit. But it is in the adoring arms of noble Ashton that her true destiny awaits--as they join together to unlock the mysteries of a shadowed past. . .and to rekindle the flames of a glorious love once vanished but never forgotten.

The Painted Lady


Barbara Metzger - 2001
    But even Lilyanne wasn't daring enough to get involved with Kennard Cartland, the Duke of Caswell. As dashing as the devil, he'd have been a perfect match if not for the rumors that he was a collector of broken hearts. An isolated portraitist who preferred a woman in oils to one of flesh and blood, he was also said to be completely daft. But the more Lilyanne heard, the more intrigued she became. Perhaps this would finally be her Season to give in to a dangerously irresistible temptation, and discover for herself what she and the duke had to offer each other...

The Mermaid


Betina Krahn - 1997
    With the wit of The Last Bachelor, the charm of The Perfect Mistress, and the sparkle of The Unlikely Angel, Betina Krahn has penned an enchanting new romance about a woman ahead of her time and an academic who must choose between cold reason and...The Mermaid.If Celeste Ashton hadn't needed money to save her grandmother's seaside estate, she would never have published her observations on ocean life and the dolphins she has befriended.  So when her book bursts upon the London scene, making her an instant celebrity, she is unprepared for the attention...especially when it comes from handsome scientist Titus Thorne.  While Titus suspects there is something fishy about her theories, Celeste is determined to be taken seriously.  Soon their fiery clashes create sparks neither expects, not least when Celeste dares Titus to let her give him a personal tour of the world she knows so well.  But when a shady entrepreneur takes too close an interest in Celeste's work--and Celeste--Titus must decide if he will risk his credibility, his career--and his heart--to side with the Lady Mermaid.

The Season


Sarah MacLean - 2009
    Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet. When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

Scandal of the Black Rose


Debra Mullins - 2006
    But what they discover is forbidden passion and a dangerous desire.

The Surrender of Miss Fairbourne


Madeline Hunter - 2012
    Of course, she is not addlepated enough to do this openly and scare away her wealthy collectors. So she and her friend concoct a deception, hiring a handsome and charming front man who will do her bidding... All would have proceeded smoothly--if it weren't for the maddening interference of Darius, the arrogant Earl of Southwaite, who has been her father's "silent partner" and now shares ownership of Fairbourne's. An earl, of course, has no interest in running an auction house--and Darius is certainly not interested in allowing the lovely Miss Fairbourne to run it either, her ludicrous scheme notwithstanding. Clearly the business must be sold. But the headstrong Emma is like no other lady he has ever encountered, refusing to follow his dictates. Holding his temper in check, Darius decides to attack on a different front. There is another way to achieve her surrender, one far more pleasurable for both of them...

A June Bride


Teresa DesJardien - 1991
    Her groom comes to her with the puzzling proposal that, despite the terrible scandal it would be, she may ask that they go their separate ways if she finds that they simply do not suit. What is a bride-even one forced to wed-to think of such an offer? Particularly when her new husband had been meant to marry another woman, a beauty who seems to be constantly in the company of Alessandra’s bridegroom... IF GEOFFREY NEEDED an example of a poor marriage, he had only to look to his estranged parents. So he listened to his mama when she pleaded with him not to forever trap Alessandra in marriage if theirs proves to be loveless. But now that his word is given, how to carry on with his new wife? It will take a scrupulous consideration of Alessandra’s sensibilities, a modicum of self control, and pillows dividing the bed her father insists they share. But the sight of his bride, adorably attired in modest night clothes, is distinctly unsettling. And he’s increasingly hoping he sees not rejection but warmth in his unintended bride’s eyes...

The Making of a Duchess


Shana Galen - 2010
    Duke Northrop orders governess Sarah Smith, surname for her orphan status, to pose as Seraphina, the Duc's intended, and prove Julien a traitor working for Napoleon. Sara disagrees and follows Julien from London ballrooms to Paris dungeons. Plus preview.

The Dancing Master


Julie Klassen - 2013
    But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch's daughter. Though he's initially wary of Julia Midwinter's reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul--and hidden sorrows of her own.Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master--a man her mother would never approve of--but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec's help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village. . .and to her mother's tattered heart?Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a "good match" in Regency England.

Marriage Most Scandalous


Johanna Lindsey - 2005
     When Sebastian Townshend, son of the eighth Earl of Edgewood, was banished from his family due to the tragic results of a duel, he vowed never to return to England. Now living on the continent, Sebastian has forged a new identity as a deadly mercenary, The Raven. But his former neighbor, Lady Margaret Landor, has different plans for him. Back in England, Sebastian's father has had several accidents and Margaret suspects foul play and deception that reach as far back as the infamous duel. Convinced that only Sebastian can set the situation to rights, Margaret arranges a scandalous bargain with him that includes Sebastian's returning home as her husband. As the newlyweds uncover a deadly scheme, a fierce passion blossoms between them, which neither anticipated -- and neither can resist.

A Wicked Gentleman


Jane Feather - 2007
     Pooling their meager resources, Lady Cornelia Dagenham, her sister-in-law Aurelia, and their friend Liv Lacey arrive in London's Cavendish Square to spend a month at the home Liv has just inherited. But why anyone would show a fervent interest in purchasing the rundown property -- particularly the arrogant Viscount Bonham, who clearly could afford the finest of homes -- is a puzzle to Cornelia. His charms are undeniable, though -- and Cornelia finds her resistance to this mysterious stranger falling away...as a sparking passion clouds her view. But their affair may place her and her friends in danger as Harry Bonham sweeps her into the sparkling whirl of high society. Leading a double life as a code breaker for the Crown, Harry is a man of many secrets. Is it Cornelia whom he truly desires, or something hidden in the house on Cavendish Square?

A Duke's Temptation


Jillian Hunter - 2010
    Willing ladies stolen by desire, seduced into risking it all.Samuel Charles Aubrey St. Aldwyn, Duke of Gravenhurst, is a radical rogue and champion of unpopular causes. No one would dream that he is also the author of a bestselling series of dark historical novels, a writer accused of corrupting the morals of the public, and a master seducer who counts among his passionate fans wellborn Miss Lily Boscastle. But Lily is no stranger to disrepute.When her engagement to another man ends in a tarnished image and public disgrace, Lily is forced to seek employment outside London --- as housekeeper for Gravenhurst himself. Her sharp wit and sensuality appeal to his wicked instincts --- and she's a perfect match for every beguiling move he makes. Yet there's more to him than Lily imagined --- a secret known to few living souls, ghosts from the past that haunt both of their futures in ways too dangerous for even the duke to have invented.

The Black Duke's Prize


Suzanne Enoch - 1995
    Not only is she caught up in the mad whirl of ballgowns and galas, she must also make certain that her disreputable uncle doesn’t sell her family estate in herabsence.Katherine Ralston, a country girl at heart, sees the Season in London as something she must endure. Nicholas Varnon, known as the Black Duke for his rakish and irresistible charms, sees the season as a chance to repair his rakish reputation. Yet, he seems to be taking quite an interest in the spirited Katherine. Suspicious of trickery, Katherine is determined to ignore the sinfully sexy charms of…the Black Duke. Little does she know, she may have just met her white knight in shining armor…

Lovers and Ladies


Jo Beverley - 2008
     The Fortune Hunter : A stunning beauty rejects the charming suitor who isn't wealthy enough to save her impoverished family. But she can't so easily dismiss the memory of their sweet shared kiss. Deirdre and Don Juan : The dashing Earl of Everdon is most eager to marry someone-anyone-who will bear him an heir. But when he meets a quiet, well-bred lady who fits the bill, he must resort to an amorous dance of deception to gain her acceptance to his proposal.